Specialized Demo 8 – the review

Almost reverse engineering. Most bike companies make an aluminium version of their bike first and then go on to produce it in carbon, but Specialized have cleverly gone the other way.

There is no doubt that the carbon Demo 8 is one of (if not ‘the’) best downhill bikes on the market, and this new aluminium version can only help to cement its position, especially with a cheaper price tag. It will come in four sizes, two builds (one with Ohlins) and a frameset, but we will only be seeing the Demo 8 1 version here in the UK. At £3500, with a RockShox BoXXer RC fork, Fox Van RC shock it is sounding like a good buy (available middle of March).

And let’s not forget just how clever this single-sided design really is… it was truly revolutionary (and still is) when it first appeared last year. Of course this kind of technology has been used in other sports (one sided motorbike swingarms for example) but in bicycles (and especially at the extreme end of the sport) it is unheard of.

We had heard that an ali version was in the works, and we wondered just how far Specialized would take the original carbon design, would it just be a poor relation? It isn’t, it is a beauty; the engineering of the single-sided seat tube is very impressive. We are just waiting to confirm a few of the geometry specs and sizes, but all is looking good. And of course we are looking to get a test bike ASAP.

PRESS RELEASE

DEMO ALLOY

WHAT IS NEW?

Do you remember when we nearly melted the Internet last year with a crazy, single-sided Demo Carbon that changed the way we look at downhill bikes? Its revolutionary construction, S3 geometry, and completely new FSR layout put it on top of World Cup podiums. Well, the Demo Alloy has the same killer formula, only now, it’s aluminium.